Quote by Tahar Ben Jelloun: “To suffer in silence is to give the oppressor more power.”

Ben Jelloun argues that remaining quiet in the face of injustice only strengthens those who inflict harm. Speaking out, even in suffering, is crucial to challenge oppression and reclaim agency, fostering defiance against tyranny.

This quote resonates with themes in This Blinding Absence of Light (2000), which depicted the horrific experiences of political prisoners in Morocco. Ben Jelloun often gives voice to the voiceless and condemns tyranny.

Moroccan novelist and poet writing in French who won the Prix Goncourt in 1987 for The Sacred Night. His work addresses themes of immigration, identity, racism, and the experience of North Africans in Europe, and he is one of the most internationally celebrated Arab writers of his generation.